Educational Science

Vaccines and Autism Timeline: How the Truth Unfolded

The idea that vaccines cause autism received yet another blow this week, with a new article in the British Journal of Medicine declaring the 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield, which originally found an autism-vaccine link, an elaborate fraud. MyHealthNewsDaily brings you a play-by-play look at the events that have unfolded...

Could a Blood Test Detect Autism? Study Aims to Answer

A simple blood test might be able to reveal whether a child has autism, according to researchers who recently launched a study to evaluate such a test. The study, which began this week and involves 660 participants at 20 facilities around the United States, will examine whether the test can...

A landmark study linking the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine with autism was an elaborate fraud, according to a new article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The original study, published in 1998 in the journal Lancet by former doctor Andrew Wakefield, was retracted in February of last year...

Diabetes, Obesity During Pregnancy Linked with Autism, Developmental Delays in Children

Women who are obese or have diabetes while they are pregnant may be more likely to have a child with autism or developmental delays, a new study reports. Though the study does not show them to be a cause of children's developmental difficulties, it is the first time a strong...

Therapy for Autism Plummets After High School

Many teenagers with autism stop receiving speech therapy and other needed mental and physical health care services once they leave high school, according to a new study. Graduating seniors lose access to the services they obtained through their school-based special education programs. The loss is problematic because the need for...

Autism And Morality: Outcomes Matter More Than Intentions

Imagine this: Janet and her friend are kayaking in a part of the ocean with many jellyfish. Janet had read that the jellyfish aren't dangerous, and tells her friend it's alright to swim. Her friend is stung by a jellyfish and dies. Who's to blame? Researchers who used this scenario...

Fever During Pregnancy Linked with Baby's Risk of Autism

Women who don't take steps to treat a fever during pregnancy may be increasing their risk of having a child with autism or another developmental disorder, a new study suggests. The children of women who had fevers while pregnant were at twice the risk of other children to develop a...

Publisher of Discredited Autism-Vaccine Study Didn't Investigate Fraud Claims

The Lancet, the medical journal that published Andrew Wakefield's now discredited 1998 study linking autism with vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella, scrambled to deny allegations in 2004 that the study was a fraud, according to a new article. The article, published Jan. 18 in the British Medical Journal, is...

Autistic Brain Excels at Recognizing Patterns

Brain regions associated with recognizing patterns tend to light up more in autistic people than the general population, perhaps explaining why those with autism often excel at visual tasks, a new study finds. The brain regions in question are called the temporal and occipital areas, and are associated with perception...

Autism May Be Linked to Placenta Abnormalities

Children at an increased risk of autism may have abnormal structures in the placenta that can be detected at birth, a new study finds. The findings suggest behavioral interventions aimed at social and motor skill development in these children could be started right away, the researchers said. Studies have shown...